Mike Posner facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mike Posner
Posner at the B96 Pepsi SummerBash in 2012
Background information
Birth name	Michael Robert Henrion Posner
Born	(1988-02-12) February 12, 1988 (age 37) Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Origin	Southfield, Michigan, U.S.
Genres	Pop rap pop R&B dance electronic
Occupations	Singer rapper songwriter record producer poet
Years active	2007–present
Labels	J RCA Island Arista Monster Mountain

Michael Robert Henrion Posner (born February 12, 1988) is an American singer, rapper, songwriter, and music producer from Detroit. He became famous in 2009 when he signed with J Records. His first hit song, "Cooler Than Me", came out in 2010. This song reached number six on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and sold millions of copies.

His next song, "Please Don't Go", also did very well. Both songs were part of his first album, 31 Minutes to Takeoff (2010). In 2015, a new version of his song "I Took a Pill in Ibiza" became a huge international hit. It reached the top ten in many countries and helped his second album, At Night, Alone (2016), become very popular.

Besides making his own music, Mike Posner has written and produced songs for many other famous artists. These include Justin Bieber, Big Sean, Maroon 5, and Nick Jonas. He has also written a book of poetry called Tear Drops & Balloons. Mike Posner is also part of a music duo called Mansionz with the rapper blackbear.

Early life and education

Michael Robert Henrion Posner was born on February 12, 1988, in Detroit, Michigan. He grew up in Southfield, Michigan, which is a suburb near Detroit. He has an older sister. His father was Jewish and his mother is Catholic.

Mike went to Bingham Farms Elementary School and Berkshire Middle School. He then graduated from Groves High School. While in high school, he was a runner on the track and cross-country teams. After high school, he went to Duke University. He studied Sociology and graduated with a good grade point average. His father, Jon, who was a lawyer, passed away in 2017. His mother is Roberta Henrion, and his sister, Emily Henrion Posner, is also a lawyer.

Music career beginnings

Posner in 2010

Mike Posner started his music journey as a record producer. He worked on songs with his friend Big Sean from his hometown. In 2009, his second collection of songs, called a mixtape, A Matter of Time, started getting attention from the music industry. He recorded this mixtape at Duke University. It was special because it was given away for free through iTunes U, which is usually for educational content. This helped him become very popular.

In July 2009, Mike signed a record deal with J Records. Even after signing, he went back to Duke University to finish his studies. He would tour and record music on the weekends.

First albums and hits

Mike Posner released another mixtape called One Foot Out the Door in October 2009. His first official album, 31 Minutes to Takeoff, came out in August 2010. The first song from this album, "Cooler Than Me", became a big hit, reaching number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. He performed at big music events like Bonnaroo and the Warped Tour.

His other songs from the album, "Please Don't Go" and "Bow Chicka Wow Wow", also did well on the charts. "Bow Chicka Wow Wow" even featured a verse from the famous rapper Lil Wayne. Mike Posner won an ASCAP Award in 2011 for "Cooler Than Me". Later, his record label, J Records, joined with RCA Records, so Mike continued to release music under the RCA Records name.

New music and success

After his first album, Mike started working on new music. He released a song called "Looks Like S..." in 2011. He also released another mixtape, The Layover. However, Mike felt a bit overwhelmed by being in the spotlight. So, he took a break from making his own music to write and produce songs for other artists.

He later announced that his next album would be called Pages. He released a single, "The Way It Used To Be", in 2013. Another song, "Top of the World", featuring Big Sean, was also released. In 2014, Mike went on an "Unplugged" tour, where he performed his songs in a simpler, acoustic style. During this time, he signed with Island Records and decided to work on a new project instead of Pages.

International hits and new projects

In 2015, Mike Posner released a song called "I Took a Pill in Ibiza". A special dance music version of this song, created by a Norwegian duo called SeeB, became incredibly popular. This version was streamed over a billion times on Spotify and topped the music charts in many countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States.

The success of this song led to his second album, At Night, Alone, which came out in May 2016. This album included both original songs and the popular dance versions of "I Took a Pill in Ibiza". Critics praised the album, seeing it as a big step forward for Mike.

In 2017, Mike explored new creative paths. He released his poetry book, Teardrops and Balloons. He also formed a new music group called Mansionz with American singer blackbear. This group combines hip hop with spoken word. Mansionz released their first album in March 2017, featuring other artists like G-Eazy. Mike also worked with Nick Jonas and Anne-Marie on the song "Remember I Told You". In 2018, he released a poetry album. His third studio album, A Real Good Kid, came out in 2019. He also released a mixtape called Keep Going to celebrate his walk across America. In 2020, he released his fourth album, Operation: Wake Up, which was a unique rap-opera style album.

Personal journeys

On January 4, 2019, Mike Posner announced a very ambitious plan: he would walk across America. He started his journey on March 1, 2019, from Asbury Park, New Jersey. This trip was over 2,800 miles long and took him about six months. During his walk, he was bitten by a rattlesnake in Colorado, which caused a short delay, but he recovered and continued. He finished his amazing walk on October 18, 2019, in Venice Beach in Los Angeles.

In May 2021, Mike Posner traveled to Nepal. He went to the base camp of Mount Everest and even sang for climbers there. On June 1, 2021, he successfully reached the top of Mount Everest. He climbed with a team that included a guide, Jon Kedrowski, and two Sherpas named Dawa Chirring Sherpa and Dawa Dorje Sherpa. Mike used his climb to help raise $250,000 for the Detroit Justice Center, a group that helps people in his hometown.

Discography

• 31 Minutes to Takeoff (2010)
• At Night, Alone. (2016)
• A Real Good Kid (2019)
• Operation: Wake Up (2020)

Concert tours

Awards and nominations

See also

In Spanish: Mike Posner para niños